


The Apology

by Amledo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Lily Evans Potter, Bad Albus Dumbledore, Blood Magic, Child Abuse, Chronic Illness, DMLE | Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Harry Potter), Doctors & Physicians, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Albus Dumbledore, Fix-It, Gen, Ghost Lily Evans Potter, Ghosts, Good Severus Snape, Healers, Hogwarts First Year, Hogwarts Hospital Wing, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape Friendship, Malnutrition, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mentor Severus Snape, No Horcruxes, Not Canon Compliant, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Physical Abuse, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Sick Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amledo/pseuds/Amledo
Summary: Harry takes it upon himself to apologize to his Professor after the notorious first Potions lesson.  How can one little apology change the course of his life forever?
Comments: 187
Kudos: 973





	1. Chapter 1

(A/N: Alright so I know that I have other stories that I am working on, and I do still plan to do those too, but this work bit my muse and I have to get it out there before I lose the inspiration for it. Anyway, I hope that you like it.)

The Apology

Part 1

"Sir? Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly, one hand holding his school bag over his shoulder, the other nervously clenched in the material of his robes. The rest of the class had filed out of the room and into the hallway, leaving him alone with the rather imposing man seated at the desk. And he truly was alone, when he had told Ron what he was about to do, the other boy had laughed at him to his face.

"Yes Mister Potter?" Severus Snape questioned, eyes briefly flicking up to observe the child that stood before him, all the while continuing to write.

"I just wanted to apologize. For taking notes and mouthing off. I really didn't mean it," Harry took a wheezing gasp for breath and Snape's hand stilled. "In Muggle School I had to take notes to give to my cousin or else my Aunt would get angry. And I guess I was excited to take them for myself for once and I got carried away," Harry's voice shrank as he spoke and his hands clenched until his knuckles turned stark white. At last he had Snape's complete attention as dark eyes focused on hunched and shaking shoulders.

"Relax Mister Potter. It is perfectly acceptable to take notes when the situation calls for it. Important even. But there are times when it isn't necessary or it is more important to pay attention to a practical demonstration," the Professor explained softly, his voice remaining measured and calm though it lacked the coldness of the tone that he had used in the classroom.

"I understand. Thank you sir," Harry wheezed, his hands remained clenched, his shoulders hunched and head bowed.

"Tell me something Mister Potter. Is there some deficiency that prevents your cousin from taking his own notes?" the Professor inquired, watching intently as Harry's posture stiffened. The boy, who was far smaller than anyone in his class, gasped raggedly for air and wobbled on his feet.

"He doesn't like to pay attention, sir. But if he doesn't do well, or have his notes I get blamed for it. I'm not allowed to be better than he is at school anyway so I never bothered to take my own notes for class," Harry admitted in a rush of breath as tears rolled down his cheeks and his entire body trembled. He didn't know why he was saying these things to the dour Professor, if his family found out that he had said them then he wouldn't have a home to stay in any longer. But something about the man's dark eyes beckoned him to explain himself fully.

Severus rose from his desk, frowning deeply when Harry flinched and shrank into himself; it was not a normal response for a healthy 11 year old child. Slowly he came around his desk and laid a hand on one shaking shoulder, not pulling away when Harry closed his eyes in fear. Gently, and carefully, he directed the boy back to one of the work tables and pulled out a chair for him to take a seat in.

"Not allowed to do better? What sort of nonsense is that? Why are you not being permitted to excel at your studies?" the Professor asked quietly in a non-accusing tone of voice. Not one inch of him felt guilty as he poured his magic into the conversation. Who needed Veritaserum when you were able to compel the truth from someone in a far less obtrusive manner? He had used it to help students before and it seemed that he had no choice but to do so again.

"Freaks aren't allowed to be smarter than normal people," Harry said and his eyes went wide, hands clasping over his mouth in shock. "I'm sorry sir I shouldn't have said that" he added in a horrified whisper and Snape silenced him with a gentle hand gesture.

"Firstly you're not a freak. You are a boy, a Wizard at that. Not being a muggle doesn't make you a freak," Severus began and pulled out a second chair, sitting across the desk from Harry so that there was some space between them and he wasn't crowding the child with his presence. "Secondly, you did the right thing just now by telling me," he explained calmly to the boy. Tears rolled fast and hot down Harry's cheeks and his lips quivered with repressed sobs.

"What?" Harry asked somewhat dumbfounded by the revelation. He was still clutching at his book bag and his robes as if his life depended on it.

"I understand that it may be difficult to believe, especially coming from me when I was just unkind to you. But if you are being mistreated, you should tell someone, an adult who can help you. Now, are you willing to talk to me about what happened to you?" Snape said and leaned forward, conjuring a tissue and offering it to the boy as he continued to cry. He was shocked to find himself actually concerned with what had been done to the impossibly tiny child of his worst rival.

"It's nothing much really. Just little things, like if I don't finish my chores then I don't get anything to eat, I get a few smacks, and I get locked in my cupboard. Or if I get in the way I only get one bathroom break and have to hold it until the next day. Sometimes I still burn breakfast and then the light gets taken away from my cupboard. If I do anything freakish then I get beaten a lot and have to stay in my cupboard for a few days with no food," Harry explained in a rush, his eyes remaining down, fixed on his clenched hands. He still didn't know what it was that compelled him to say such things to the Professor, but he felt relieved now that he had said them aloud, so he was thankful for whatever had given him the courage to speak.

Severus quietly eased back on his magic, whatever happened now, he had the memory of what Harry had said, and there would be no going back on what had been presented to him. Sitting in silence he could hear the wheezing and irregular breaths that the boy was taking. He knew that he needed to speak soon, Harry was obviously beginning to panic, but he didn't quite know what to say to the revelation that Potter was not a pampered Prince of a child.

"I see. Well I am very glad that you told me," Severus kept his voice as neutral as possible. "Would you be comfortable with the idea of coming to the Hospital Wing with me? I would like very much for Madam Pomfrey to take a listen to your breathing and check you over to make sure you're doing alright," he said softly with his focus entirely devoted to the badly abused boy sitting across from him.

He sighed in relief and felt some tension bleed out of his body, when after several long seconds of thought, Harry nodded. Taking the chance to help the boy before he changed his mind, Snape got to his feet, ignoring the flinch that Harry gave him. Despite his apparent fears, Harry followed his movements wordlessly. The boy seemed to struggle with the weight of his school bag; it seemed that he had carried his entire school library with him to class. Snape motioned for the boy to follow and set a very slow and sedate pace as they made their way to see Madam Pomfrey.

(A/N: Well that's it for now. I know it wasn't the longest first chapter I've ever done, but I hope that you liked it all the same. If you liked it will you please consider leaving a review or a comment to let me know what you thought? Thanks for reading!)


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: Thank you all so much for your overwhelming support of this fic! I am beyond glad to see that you all are enjoying it so much. As always your reviews and comments fuel me, so here I am with more story for you. So, without anymore stalling, on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 2

Harry sat huddled in a ball on one of the beds in the otherwise unoccupied Hospital Wing, he was chewing his lip and hugging his school bag for comfort. The bed seemed so large, not as large as the one in his dorm room, but far more imposing. Part of him wanted to regret saying anything to Professor Snape, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do so. He just wished that there wasn't such a big fuss over him. Surely it couldn't be that bad, if it didn't kill him, it couldn't be that terrible. Right?

Never before had he been examined with magic. It hadn't hurt; Dudley had always told him that going to the Doctor hurt. But Harry supposed that if going to the Doctor really hurt that much then Vernon and Petunia would have forced him to go and have twice the exams in Dudley's place. Instead they had steadfastly refused to take him to the Doctor for anything, telling him that freaks didn't get to see the Doctor when they were sick or hurt.

Just when he was certain that he was going to be sick from the stress of waiting, the door to Madam Pomfrey's office opened and she and Professor Snape stepped out to rejoin him in the main room.

"Mister Potter, were you aware that you have had several broken ribs?" Harry shook his head in the negative. "Do you know what asthma is?" Another shake of his head. "Alright Mister Potter. Well there are several things that appeared on my scans that have me deeply concerned. But we can take fixing things just as slowly as you need," the Healer explained in a soft and measured tone, the same way that Snape had spoken to him. Harry swallowed thickly against more tears and nodded, looking to Professor Snape for reassurance in that moment. The dark haired man that had seemed so scary gave him a nod and a small but calming smile.

"Okay," Harry said softly and slowly uncurled himself from around his school bag, his eyes hazing with fresh tears at the pain it caused him. He could guess at a few things that were wrong with him, like that he was at least 6 inches shorter than anyone in his class and probably half the weight, but he didn't know exactly what lasting damage had been done.

"We will begin with your asthma attack," Madam Pomfrey said and summoned a potion to her hand. She uncorked it and passed it to Harry. The boy took it automatically but looked confused as to what to do with it.

"You have to drink it Mister Potter. It will help you to breathe better," Severus stepped up to explain, sensing a wave of panic rising in the boy. Harry at once calmed down and obeyed his teacher. If he was shocked at how rapidly it worked, he said nothing, instead drawing several deep breaths and sighing in relief.

"Now that we have that taken care of, I would like to fix your ribs. This will hurt as I have to re-break them in order to set them where they belong. Do you understand Mister Potter?" Madam Pomfrey said gently, attempting to maintain her professional mask when the boy shuddered in fear.

"I understand," Harry whispered and attempted to steal himself for the pain that was to follow.

"Would you prefer it if I remained with you, Harry?" Professor Snape questioned, causing the boy's attention to shift to him at the use of his given name. Harry blushed fiercely and ducked his head.

"Please?" he whispered, reaching out toward his Professor. Severus sat on the edge of the boy's bed and allowed Harry to hold onto his hand. Over Harry's head Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow at the man and very nearly smiled. They had patched up abuse victims before, Slytherin had had its fair share of children from broken homes, but Severus had never been so supportive. Poppy suspected that it had something to do with brilliant green eyes.

"So Harry, how do you like your dorm mates in Gryffindor?" Severus asked kindly, his voice several shades softer than it had ever been.

"I don't, not really, not very much, I mean. They're loud, they're rude, and they've already made a mess of everything. They remind me of my cousin Dudley. Maybe—" Harry gasped and there was an audible pop-crunch as one of his ribs slid back into place. "Maybe I should have let the hat put me in Slytherin," he finished and looked almost shame-faced as he attempted to loosen his death grip on the Professor's hand.

"What do you mean? Did the hat give you an option where to go?" Severus asked; face halfway between shock and concern.

"It said that I could go anywhere. But that I would do best in Slytherin or Gryffindor. And Draco had been mean to me and Ron had been nice, so I thought that Gryffindor would be better. But it turns out that Ron was only really excited to be my friend because I'm Harry Potter," Harry's breath left him momentarily as another rib moved back into its proper position. "Like me being Harry bloody Potter really means anything to anyone. If I was so special then why did I grow up away from magic?" Harry said and Severus was surprised to hear that it was not bitterness but sorrow that tainted the child's voice.

"Mister Potter, Harry. Normally we don't second guess the hat, and removing a student from their House is highly irregular, but I think that in your case there might be mitigating factors. I will speak with Headmaster Dumbledore about the matter," Severus said slowly and carefully. Poppy set another three ribs in quick succession.

"I think I would like that. Maybe Draco and I can try again to be friends," Harry said quietly. Once he was assured that Poppy was done he released Severus's hand and sat back up, blinking in shock when it didn't hurt to roll his shoulders or twist his back.

"I'm sure that Mister Malfoy would love the opportunity. But you have some time to consider it. The healing process is going to take some time, a week or more. We will worry about taking care of you first and foremost," Severus said quietly and looked to Poppy for confirmation. She only gave the slightest shake of her head.

"For now what you need most, Mister Potter, is some rest. This potion will put you to sleep for the night. Please drink it all," the Healer said and handed Harry a small phial, already uncapped. Harry frowned for a moment but shrugged and tipped the potion into his mouth.

He drifted off far quicker than either of them had expected and it took both Severus and Poppy to situate the boy under the covers, removing his shoes and his outer robes. They placed his school bag, which was indeed stuffed with every book he owned, beside the bed and set a security charm on it so that no one but they or Harry could handle it.

(A/N: Well that's all for now. I really hope that you enjoyed it and will consider leaving me a review or a comment to let me know what you thought of it. Thanks for reading everyone!)


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: I continue to be astounded by the response to this fic; I hope that you all know just how much it means to me to hear from you. Anyway, on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 3

"He's going to take much longer than a week to heal, Severus," Poppy Pomfrey said in a no nonsense tone of voice that had Snape looking up at her with a critical eye.

"How much longer?" he questioned, not sharply or unkindly, but in his usual default tone of voice. To Poppy it was a sure sign that he was concealing his true emotions from her, but she decided to let that lie for the moment.

"Perhaps a month, maybe more if things don't go as planned. And I sincerely doubt that he will be re-sorted. Or if he is it will only be in name," she said and gave a shake of her head, sighing at the monumental task that was before her. It would be more of an ordeal for tiny Harry, but she was going to have her hands full with taking care of him around the clock.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, this time with a little more curiosity than blandness.

"He is immune deficient, sharing a dorm with the other students isn't an option. Not when something like a cold could seriously harm him," she explained softly as she plucked the glasses from Harry's face and set them on the table beside the bed.

"It has been some time since a student had to stay somewhere other than the dorms. The last time it happened the parents elected private tutoring. I don't think it wise to suggest such a thing to Mister Potter's family," Severus said and Poppy's jaw clenched tightly.

"No, I won't have it. Someone on staff will have to accept him as their Ward for the duration of his schooling. He can't go back to those muggles," Poppy stated firmly and Severus was struck with a feeling in his chest that could best be described as foreboding.

"I will speak to the Headmaster about the matter. He'll of course want to see the results of your scans," Severus said grimly. He looked down at Harry's sleeping face and almost sighed, the child was the image of James Potter, only with Lily's eyes. No matter what James had done to him during their schooling, he had to be the bigger man and realize that this was a child they were talking about. A child that had grown up abused and mistreated, sleeping in a closet like some disobedient animal. Harry had done nothing wrong, not really, all kids mouthed off occasionally, and he should have been pleased to see a child taking notes as Harry had been. Instead he let the resemblance play into the lingering hurt he felt and attacked at the drop of a hat. It was a wonder that Harry had trusted him enough to apologize in the first place, let alone confess to him what had been done, even with Severus's magic in play.

"I will go with you then. I may as well do it when he is going to be out for a few hours, before I start him on his regimen of potions, just let me grab my notes," Poppy said quietly, knowing that Harry would not wake even for an explosion, but unable to shake the quiet tone she was so accustomed to maintaining.

"That's probably for the best. I'll wait here," Severus said in response and watched as she made her way to her office at the back of the Wing. He quietly swore to himself and to Lily that he would see that the boy was taken care of, no matter the cost, no matter his feelings, Harry would suffer no more abuse. And, as if Lily could hear him, as if he had sworn a proper Wizard's Oath, he was surrounded by a surge of warmth that settled into his chest. He spared another look at the boy and swore, just for a second, that he saw her there, standing beside Harry's bed.

Blinking to clear his eyes, he looked again and she was gone. But part of him knew that he had seen her, and that his Oath was real. Of course he didn't know how an Oath worked when the second party was deceased, but he wasn't about to find out. No, he would hold to it. He would protect the boy, whatever that entailed.

"Severus? Is everything okay?" Poppy questioned as she emerged from her office, a stack of parchments in her hands, copies, as the originals had been sent off to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was neat and tidy, but worryingly thick. Harry's medical scans had recorded his full medical history, at least everything from the time that he had been one and a half. It showed, definitively, that he had been abused rather horribly. It showed that he spent more time sick than healthy. But the most important thing that it showed was that his immune system was compromised and that he was incapable of safely living among the general population of students. Sure, he could be with them long enough for his classes and meals, as students were not allowed to attend them whilst sick. But if a student was confined to the dorms due to an illness it would put Harry in grave danger.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just, a little bemused. I thought for sure that the family would treat him like a prince. That he would be spoiled rotten. It isn't every day that my views are challenged and proven to be wrong. I'm just processing it all," Severus admitted after a long moment. He couldn't tell Poppy what he had seen or she would drop everything and demand to check him for a fever, fearing him to be delirious. After all, Lily hadn't appeared as a ghost to anyone before, why would she have taken that time to do so?

"You've been shown a gamut of students over the years, surely you don't go into any new class having expectations?" she said as she cast a monitoring charm over Harry's bed. It would alert her if someone tried to disturb him or if he woke from his sleep.

"No, I don't suppose I have expectations of the average students. But I knew Harry's parents, how they doted on him. I just assumed that the muggles would do the same," Severus admitted and cursed himself that he was almost always honest with Poppy. There were things that he didn't tell her, of course, but when he did share, he always over-shared, he suspected that it was part of her magic and not some sort of failing of his normally iron control.

"How I wish that were the case," Poppy said with a sigh before both of them turned and made their way to the Headmaster's office in order to discuss Harry's future at Hogwarts.

(A/N: Well that's it for now. I hope that you liked it and will leave me a review or a comment to let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!)


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N: I'm back for more! I'm writing these pretty far in advance of when I post them, currently only the first chapter is published, so hopefully you're still interested in the story. Anyway, enough from me, on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 4

Severus and Poppy made their way through the empty halls of the school. They had set a very respectable pace and were there in almost no time. The gargoyle stared at them impassively as it ever did, until Poppy muttered the password and it leapt to life to reveal the staircase leading to the Headmaster's office. It was about an hour before dinner, and they hoped to be done with this particular meeting before they could miss it.

At the top of the stairs Severus knocked on the door of the office.

"Come in, come in," Dumbledore called out to them, likely already knowing who had come up to see him thanks to the nosy-ness of various portraits. There was a reason that there were very few portraits in the Hospital Wing, all of them sensible former Healers.

"Severus, Madam Pomfrey, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Dumbledore questioned, Severus wondered at his given name being used, but elected to worry about it later, when little Harry wasn't in danger of being sent back to live among abusers.

"Unfortunately Albus, this is not a pleasant visit," Poppy said and took the seat that Dumbledore offered her. Severus was soon seated by her side and they both looked grimly over the desk at the Headmaster.

"Is it not? Pity. Well then, on with it," Dumbledore said and selected a sweet from the bowl on his desk, popping it into his mouth and sitting back to listen. Annoyingly he didn't seem too concerned, Poppy and Severus both had expected him to be a little more invested.

"Harry Potter is in the Hospital Wing," Severus said plainly, hoping that the name drop would instill a sense of urgency in the older man. And it seemed to work. Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair and steepled his fingers above his desk.

"What has happened? Was there an accident in Potions?" Dumbledore questioned and instantly Severus shook his head in the negative, he never had First Years brewing on the first day; surely Dumbledore remembered that much about his lessons.

"Of course not, it was only a lecture. No, this is something else entirely," Severus said in assurance, something that he only really did for Dumbledore.

"Something else?" he asked and looked to Poppy for an answer.

"I'm afraid that Mister Potter is not in the best condition. He has been abused by his relatives," Poppy said bluntly and waved the stack of papers before him. Something in his eyes held her back from giving him the report, even though it was only a copy and the original had been sent off to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement along with Severus's statement and memory of the event. She and Severus had done their due diligence as they had done with every abused child that had come their way.

"Poppy that is a very grave accusation. I hope that you have not acted rashly in this matter, that family is the only protection that Harry has against Voldemort and his followers," Dumbledore said coldly and Poppy gripped the stack of papers tightly, wanting to throw them in his face.

"They are no protection at all Albus, they've nearly killed him. Of course we did what law requires of us. Just because it is Harry Potter doesn't mean I can make an exception for abuse," Poppy said as shock and rage coursed through her at the attitude being presented by the Headmaster.

"Then you have cost us dearly. The Blood Wards were the only thing protecting him. His family might not have treated him like a prince, but surely it wasn't bad enough to remove that protection from him," Dumbledore retorted and it was clear that he was angry.

"It was beyond bad enough. In all my years I have never seen a child so badly handled as that one. His condition is deplorable," Severus spoke up, his voice gone harder and colder than he had anticipated. It wasn't shocking to him that the rage he felt was genuine, son of James Potter or not, Harry was an innocent child.

"Albus the boy barely has an immune system. I reset five of his ribs. I have a month or more of work ahead of me just to get him to a condition that I deem acceptable. You can't lay the hopes of the war at his feet, you'll be lucky if he has enough strength in him to survive to adulthood. Putting him with those people was the worst decision you've ever made," Poppy added in her sternest tone, it verged on a shout.

"Regardless of all of that, he still needs the protection of the Blood Wards to be safe outside of the school. He has no other family on Lily's side. What do you propose we do about that?" Dumbledore said, clearly willing to ignore heinous crimes against a small child in favor of the greater good.

Severus once again got that feeling of foreboding in his chest and glanced to his side reflexively. There, as plain as day, stood the angry specter of Lily Potter, as if summoned by her name. But as soon as she appeared she was gone. It had done the trick though, Dumbledore's face was slack and his eyes were wide.

"I will Blood Adopt the boy. I swore to Lily that I would keep him safe. I swore he would suffer no more. She accepted my Oath," Severus said firmly with courage that would shock a Gryffindor.

"You and James Potter were the greatest of rivals. You would raise his son without animosity?" Dumbledore questioned.

"I would raise six of James's children if it meant that they were safe from abuse. Yes of course, what kind of monster do you take me for?" Severus said in response, his head practically spinning with the idea that he was about to become a father.

"I can perform the ritual here, and file the paperwork myself. There is no need for you to do any of it yourself Albus, as this is our mess to clean up," Poppy said primly, her hands folded over the stack of papers that sat in her lap.

"Very well then," Dumbledore said, but his eyes were dark and his expression cold.

"I'll be needing the Sorting Hat as well. My son wishes to be resorted. Even if he cannot live in the dorms, he would like to see which House the Hat truly believes he belongs in," Severus said and found the sentence to be entirely too easy to say. Perhaps it was Lily's involvement, or perhaps it was the time he had spent speaking with the boy, but he didn't find it distasteful in the least to be talking about Harry as his son.

"He wants to do what?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.

"He wants to be resorted. If the Hat still puts him in Gryffindor then so be it, but he was under duress when sorted originally," Severus said calmly and clearly. Dumbledore stood and retrieved the Sorting Hat, looking at it for a moment before handing it to Severus with a look of distaste.

"Very well then, off with the both of you. Clean up this mess, and be sure to tell the boy that you have cost him the only family he has ever known," the Headmaster said dismissively.

At once Poppy and Severus got to their feet and left the room. Both were silent as they moved through still empty hallways and made it back to the Hospital Wing in what felt like seconds.

(A/N: Well there you have it. I've rewritten this twice now just to get to a point where I'm satisfied with it so hopefully you enjoyed it. Maybe consider leaving me a comment or a review. Thanks for reading!)


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N: Hey guys, I'm back again with another chapter for you. I'm still ahead of the game as far as posting and typing go, so hopefully you're still enjoying this as I write it. Anyway, on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 5

"I can't believe Albus could be so callous as to leave that child in an abusive home. I know very well that he had Wards in place that should have reported to him anything that happened to the boy," Poppy vented the moment they were safely inside the Hospital Wing.

"Of course he had Wards. The question is, did he really pay all that close of attention to what they were telling him? Did he even care?" Severus said and shook his head, once again looking at the tiny fragile boy that lay in the only occupied bed of the Infirmary.

"It will come up in the investigation, I am certain. And then he will have to answer to the DMLE. I doubt anything will come of it, but could you imagine if it did? What would happen if the rest of the Wizarding world discovered that the Boy Who Lived had been so grievously abused?" Poppy said and they both shared a grim look before returning their attention to the boy in the bed.

"There's nothing we can do about it now. It's in the hands of the DMLE; all we can do is answer their questions when and if they show up. Our focus now should be on the Blood Adoption ritual. We'll need him awake obviously, so it can't take place before tomorrow," Severus said quietly, even though there was no chance of the boy overcoming the potion in order to wake up.

"I think I will take dinner here, just to keep an eye on him. Do you wish to join me Severus?" Poppy questioned and Severus sighed in relief, he had been looking for an excuse to stick around and now that she had said something, he didn't need to make one.

"Yes, thank you Poppy," he said and followed her to her office.

"I'm sure that when he doesn't turn up at dinner Minerva will show up looking for him," Poppy said and watched as Severus gently placed the Sorting Hat on one of her many book-filled shelves. He hadn't fully decided what order they would do things in come morning, the Sorting seemed easiest, but Severus wondered if they wouldn't be better off doing it last.

"I hope she does. She'll be more sensible than the Headmaster was when it comes to this whole situation," Severus admitted and Poppy nodded before calling on a House Elf and instructing the tiny creature to bring them two plates for dinner. Neither of them was terribly particular when it came to food, but the House Elves seemed to know the preferences of each Professor and Staff Member in the school, so they didn't worry about what would be selected.

"Shall we discuss the ghost of Lily Potter?" Poppy questioned delicately and Severus froze momentarily, looking rather silly as he was halfway to sitting down in his chair. But he recovered himself quickly and sat down as gracefully as ever.

"She appeared next to his bed first. Well, appeared to me there first. I don't know if she has been able to manifest herself to others before now," Severus said plainly, seeing no reason to hide the truth from his colleague when they had all just seen the specter of the woman in Dumbledore's office.

"Likely not. It can take decades for a ghost to accumulate the magic it requires to appear fully. And if she has been tied to Harry in the Muggle world then there's not much for her to draw on there. It is likely the power of Hogwarts that is giving her the ability to take on any sort of form to begin with. I wouldn't be shocked if she is able to appear continuously sooner rather than later," Poppy stated in explanation. It had been quite some time since a new ghost had appeared within the walls of Hogwarts, the last being the ghost of the girl who had died in the bathroom, Myrtle.

"I have to admit that I expected her to be in the afterlife with James. But it makes sense that her spirit remain here. How else would her sacrifice protect Harry? It would seem that the Headmaster doesn't understand how Blood Magic works. Or if he does he is counting on us not to. I will still Blood Adopt the child, just to be safe, but I trust Lily to protect her son better than any of us ever could. I can't imagine the hell she was going through seeing him suffer in that house and not being able to stop them," Severus said and was rather proud of himself for not wincing when he used the name of his rival.

"Yes, I suppose she must have suffered, after all, Blood Magic is designed to protect against magical harm, not physical. Poor Harry would have stood a better chance against You Know Who than his own relatives," Poppy sighed as two plates loaded with sandwiches and mashed potatoes appeared on her desk along with two tall goblets of pumpkin juice.

"I doubt he was even supposed to go there in the event of her and James's demise. She and Petunia hated each other. No I should think that the Potter's Will was not even read in this situation. I shall have to do some digging and find out if it was ever made public record or if it was sealed and kept from view," Severus said, picking up the roast beef sandwich with crusty bread and taking a large bite. He found that he had quite an appetite for once and wasn't shy about eating in front of Poppy.

"I can make a formal request of the Ministry now that Harry's case is under investigation. I imagine that the boy was supposed to go to his Godfather Sirius Black, but we all know that he has been in Azkaban these past 10 years. It would be shocking to me if Petunia were anywhere on that list," Poppy admitted and Severus shook his head.

"Save the request until after the Blood Adoption. I don't want to risk a custody battle for the boy. I have an Oath to keep and I can't do that if I let someone else take him from us," Severus said delicately, hoping that he did not seem too outwardly excited about raising Harry as his own. No, it wouldn't do for his persona if he was seen to be enthusiastic about keeping a child and becoming a father. And yet, if he really looked deep into himself, he was thrilled to be able to do so.

"Of course Severus, but with your and Lily's history, I would be shocked if you were not somewhere on that list. James rather grew up after he left school, I'm sure that he simply never got the time to bury the hatchet with you as it were," Poppy said and Severus would have blushed if he were the type of man to do so.

"We shall see," he said instead and they continued to eat their dinner in relative silence.

(A/N: Well there you have it folks, another chapter all nice and neat. I hope that you liked it and will leave me a review or a comment to let me know what you thought. As always, thanks for reading!)


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N: Once again I have returned to bring you more fanfiction. I hope that you folks have been enjoying the story so far and will continue to enjoy it for many chapters to come. But for now, that's enough from me, so on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 6

It wasn't long after they finished their dinner that a chime sounded to alert them that someone had come into the Hospital Wing. Both Poppy and Severus rose from their seats quickly, dusting their robes free of the crumbs from their sandwiches. Severus waited patiently for the Healer to take the lead before following her into the infirmary proper. There stood Minerva McGonagall, and she looked horrified as she observed Harry's tiny form in the too-large bed.

"Minerva?" Poppy's voice was carefully pitched to avoid giving the other woman a fright.

"Oh Poppy, what happened to him? Albus insisted you both had doomed the child, but he wouldn't explain himself further," Minerva said after several seconds of silence and Poppy sighed softly.

"His relatives happened to him. They have abused and neglected him," Poppy stated and the look of horror returned to Minerva's face as her hands came up to cover her mouth.

"He's only a child, how could they? I knew, I told Albus that they were awful people. But he assured me that it was the only option. This is my fault for not fighting Albus on the matter," Minerva whispered and quickly reached for a handkerchief to stem the tears that had started to form in her eyes.

"It isn't your fault Minerva, you tried to stop him," Poppy assured delicately and reached out to pat her friend on the shoulder.

"Albus never even checked on him? I was assured that there were Wards in place to prevent him from coming to harm," Minerva said, her voice wavered as the tears continued to come.

"It is our belief that Albus knew fully what was going on, but that he ignored it because the Wards were preventing Voldemort's followers from getting to the boy," Poppy admitted and Minerva's expression rapidly shifted to one of rage.

"It is in the hands of the DMLE Minerva, there is nothing that any of us can do about it now so don't go getting yourself caught in the crossfire just to speak your mind," Severus said gently and Minerva nodded before she wiped at her eyes one last time and tucked her handkerchief away.

"Much of it is on my shoulders, I allowed myself to be forbidden to check on Harry. Albus wanted him to grow up without the influence of the magical world and his popularity here," Minerva said miserably and shook her head, obviously still distraught but attempting to calm herself down.

"You can't be faulted for trusting Albus to take care of the boy; we all assumed that he would have Harry's best interests at heart, what was there for us to question?" Poppy said gingerly and Minerva sighed before closing her eyes and taking several deep steadying breaths.

"May I see the report on what was done to him? I should like to get an idea of it for myself," Minerva said at last and Poppy nodded, motioning for the other woman to join her in her office.

Severus elected to stay behind, summoning a chair to his side so that he was able to sit at Harry's bedside and keep vigil on the off chance that the boy overcame the potion and woke from his slumber. The door to Poppy's office remained open but thanks to the charms that were in place, Severus could hear nothing, even as it seemed that Minerva was gasping and occasionally shouting. No, Severus figured that the fewer people who witnessed his fellow Head of House acting so out of character the better.

"Lily, I know you're here, save your energy and don't appear, but I need you to listen," Severus started and waited until he felt a familiar ache in his chest before pressing onward. "I have no idea how to raise a child; much less one that is going to have the baggage that Harry already carries with him. But I swore to you that he wouldn't come to any harm, and I mean that. You kept me from ruining my life and becoming a Death Eater, and I think now it is time I repay my debt to you," he whispered and looked at Harry's sleeping face once again. For certain the boy was James Potter's son, and the Blood Adoption ritual would not change that overmuch, but he knew that some things would not be the same. Harry would become a three parent child, his genetics would reflect Severus's influence, in what way remained to be seen, and Severus hoped against hope that it wasn't his nose the poor boy inherited.

After nearly an hour Poppy and Minerva emerged from the office, both pausing to stare in shock at Severus as he was performing a routine vitals check on Harry to ensure that his system had not gone into shock over the re-setting of his ribs.

"Severus, how is he?" Minerva asked gently, all of them still quiet despite the fact that Harry was obviously sound asleep.

"He is much the same as before. Though I dare say that his magic has gotten stronger in the last few hours, probably because it isn't being diverted to deal with as many medical issues as before," Severus informed and watched as the tight line of Minerva's mouth relaxed toward something more neutral and her eyes softened considerably.

"Good, his magic will need to be as strong as possible for him to endure the corrective procedures that he's going to need. After all, curing Asthma requires quite the rigorous course of potions and spell work," Poppy stated in relief and Severus nodded, knowing that he would be the one to brew those potions and relieved that he only had to do so a handful of times a year.

"I don't know if he can be cured, not with his body's malnourished state and how many times he's had an attack that was left untreated," Minerva expressed her doubts quietly, as if afraid to speak them into existence by the simple act of acknowledging them.

"This is true, the damage to his lungs may be more severe than we anticipated, but we will try all the same. And if he can't be cured well then he will at least have a Potions Master for a father. Severus will get him the potions that he needs far faster than any of the rest of us could save for me," Poppy admitted and Severus once again felt Lily's presence at their sides. When they looked up she was standing there on the other side of the bed, looking down at Harry with sadness and determination in her eyes. Minerva gasped audibly and clasped her hands to her mouth as once again Lily faded away, this time after maintaining her form for several seconds.

"Ah, sorry Minerva, we should have mentioned that. Lily has tied herself to Harry. The night she died a piece of her soul was woven into Magic itself and she managed to bind herself to her son. Had she not, I am assured that You Know Who would have tied himself to Harry instead. Instead he was thwarted and what was left of his soul was destroyed in the light of day," Severus explained delicately.

(A/N: Well there you have it. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and will leave me a review or a comment to let me know what you thought of it. As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time!)


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N: Well I'm back again with another chapter for you good folks. I hope that you have enjoyed the story so far and that this chapter will not disappoint. But for now that's enough from me, on with the show!)

The Apology

Part 7

"Is there anything else I should know? I will need to have his things fetched from the dorms if he is to be living with you Severus. And it couldn't hurt to inform his classmates that he won't be returning to his studies until he is healthy enough to do so," Minerva spoke up about an hour before curfew. For the most part all three of them had kept silent vigil over the boy, occasionally they would check his vitals, but none of them quite knew what else to say about the matter.

"Once I adopt him he is being Sorted again. It seems that he was under some outside pressure during the original Ceremony to select Gryffindor. Of course I will not prevent him from being placed there again if that is what the Hat decides, but he wanted to try it all the same," Severus provided and Minerva frowned softly.

"I see, well while it is most unusual, I will not fight you on the matter. I only wish the best for him, even if that means that he is no longer a member of my House," Minerva said gently. She then rose from her chair and smoothed the wrinkles from her dress and robes. With a gentle nod she bid Severus and Poppy a good night and made her way out of the Hospital Wing.

"Severus you should be off soon as well. I still have to enforce visiting hours," Poppy stated plainly and Severus nodded as he absently flicked some invisible lint from his sleeve.

"Of course, I don't expect you to break protocol for him or me. I will be back first thing in the morning for the Blood Adoption Ritual. I just hope that he accepts me as his new guardian. Otherwise this will get a whole lot more complicated," Severus said, finally giving voice to a fear that had been tugging at the back of his mind for the last several hours.

"I don't think that Lily would have picked you if Harry wouldn't be okay with it. For that matter you're the first adult to show him any such kindness or protectiveness, it will go a long way with him, I promise you that," Poppy assured gently and then stood when Severus stood.

"Be that as it may, I still intend to ask him formally to be my son. I wouldn't presume to force such a bond on him," Severus stated quietly.

"And I'm sure that he will appreciate the gesture more than you know. But for now it is getting near to curfew and I'm sure that you have a few wayward students to see back to the dorms," Poppy said and gently shooed him from the Wing.

Once he was gone she locked and Warded the doors to the Wing so that not even the Headmaster could get in without her permission. It was a task that she preformed every night, but now, with Albus acting strangely concerning the child, she was doubly careful of her wand work.

"Rest easy Mister Potter, you may have lost the only family you've ever known, but you're about to gain a father that would bend Heaven and Earth just to keep you safe," Poppy said quietly as she paused once more by Harry's bed. The boy did not react but for the first time Lily appeared to Poppy alone, and this time she was smiling.

The night passed uneventfully and the next morning came quickly for the teachers and staff of the school.

Severus turned up just in time for Poppy to let him in and for Harry to wake from his potion-induced slumber.

"Sir? You didn't have to come back just to check on me. I really am sorry for being such a bother," Harry said gently as Severus took up the seat that had been left at his bedside. Severus smiled softly and reached out to hand Harry his glasses.

"You're not a bother Harry. In fact I came here to check on you because I wanted to do so. Besides that I have something very important to discuss with you," Severus said in what had to be the softest voice he had used on a child in the last 10 years.

"Something important?" Harry asked and yawned widely, looking sheepish that he had done so.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey and I went through the proper steps with your case. As such your relatives are being investigated by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This means that you are no longer under their care, and will not be ever again. So someone else needs to be your guardian, and I wanted to offer to be that for you. Would you allow me to adopt you Harry?" Severus said in a low and even tone, careful not to imply that any punishment would come to the relatives on Harry's behalf.

For several long moments Harry's expression was blank as he repeated what Severus had said over and over, looking at the man for any trace of a joke. Severus did his best to keep his expression neutral, but he couldn't quite hide the hopefulness that had crept into his heart over night.

"I'm sorry sir, I would love for you to adopt me, but I don't think I can remember the last time someone wanted me for anything other than keeping a clean house and cooking meals for them," Harry admitted and Severus nodded, offering a nearby tissue as Harry's eyes began to cloud with tears once again.

"I can promise you Harry that the only chores you will have in my household will be making your bed and doing your homework. On top of that, I would also like to promise you that this has nothing to do with you being Harry Potter. I seek no fame in associating with you. I only wish to keep you safe and take care of you as any parent should," Severus affirmed gently and Harry cried harder despite the smile that had formed on his lips.

"You really want me to be your son?" Harry whispered between sobs, wondering if he was feeling another asthma attack coming on. Severus nodded earnestly in response.

"Yes of course," Severus stated simply.

"What would I call you?" Harry asked as the tears seemed to reach their end and his breathing started to level out. He was still wheezing for breath, but at least he wasn't choking on sobs anymore. There had been times when he had been left to deal with worse symptoms on his own. But he wasn't made to; Severus had summoned a familiar phial of potion and quickly handed it to Harry to drink.

"You can call me whatever you like. In classes it will still be Sir, or Professor. But when we are at home or not in a school setting you may use whatever feels natural to you," Severus said, watching in relief as Harry's breathing returned to normal. It warmed his heart to know that something as simple as what to call him had been his concern.

"I will figure something out. How do you go about adopting me? Doesn't it take forever?" Harry asked softly.

"It won't take more than an hour. Here in the Magical world things work a little differently. You won't just be my son on paper, you'll be my son by blood as well," Severus said, smiling at the wide-eyed reaction that netted him.

(A/N: Well that's it for now. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as you have enjoyed the ones in the past. If you enjoyed it or just want to say hi, a comment or a review would mean the world to me. But for now, thanks for reading and I hope to see you nest time.)


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